Toolkit and reference
The official ICE documents
Everything ICE publishes that you will need, grouped by when it becomes relevant — plus every published limit in one place.
Who this is for:Candidates at any stage ·Mentors ·Sponsors ·Supervising Civil Engineers and Delegated Engineers ·Employers and training administrators
Everything on this site is written from ICE's own published guidance. These are the documents themselves — take them from ICE, and read the first one in full.
Read the Professional Review Guidance properly
It is the one document that governs the whole process, and most of the questions candidates ask are answered somewhere in it. It carries the report and appendix limits, the sponsor requirements, the CPD requirements, the shape of the day, the deferral and appeal provisions, and ICE's own checklists.
Download it from ICE rather than opening a copy that has been sitting in an employer's shared drive. Several requirements have changed in recent years, and an old copy is how a candidate ends up preparing for an assessment that no longer exists.
What to download, and when
Always take these from ICE's own website rather than from a copy sitting in an employer's shared drive.
Everyone applying
Read the first one in full. It governs the whole process.
- Incorporated and Chartered Professional Review GuidanceInstitution of Civil EngineersRead in full. Governs application content, report and appendix limits, sponsors, CPD evidence, the review itself, results, appeals, deferral, individual requirements and the attribute lists.
- Professional Review Communication Task Guidance (candidate)Institution of Civil EngineersRead in full. Governs Communication Task timing, question choice, reference material, invigilation, upload, marking criteria, scenario themes and response formats.
- Key membership datesInstitution of Civil EngineersApplication deadlines, review sessions and Career Appraisal monthly deadlines live here and change. Not readable automatically. Candidates must read the dates themselves and enter their own confirmed dates into the planner.
- ICE feesInstitution of Civil EngineersAll fees are non-refundable and change. No fee figure is published anywhere in this domain.
Your educational base
Only the one that matches your situation.
- Academic AssessmentInstitution of Civil EngineersThe Training Scheme guidance gives aqp@ice.org.uk as the contact where accreditation is in doubt, and points to Academic Assessment. The assessment's own current criteria and fee were not read.
- Technical Report RouteInstitution of Civil EngineersThe Career Appraisal guidance states that applicants holding no academic qualifications should make a stage 1 Technical Report Route application instead. The route's own current stages were not read.
- Professional qualification recognition and mutual recognitionInstitution of Civil EngineersThe list of recognition arrangements named in the Career Appraisal and Professional Review guidance is recorded in this domain, but which agreements are live at any time must be checked with ICE at erp@ice.org.uk.
Completing your IPD
Whichever route you are taking.
- ICE Training Scheme & GuidanceInstitution of Civil EngineersRead in full. Governs Approved Employers, Training Agreements, SCE and DE roles, development reviews, annual appraisal, Training Review, transfer and partial completion, IPD Online and TAGSO.
- Career Appraisal GuidanceInstitution of Civil EngineersRead in full. Governs Career Appraisal eligibility, submission contents, word limits, assessment outcomes and the CPRP top-up route.
- ICE CPD guidanceInstitution of Civil EngineersThe 30 hours per year expectation and the DAP/PDR structure are confirmed by the Professional Review, Career Appraisal and Training Scheme guidance. The CPD guidance document itself, and its templates, were not read.
Sponsors, and the day itself
Send the first of these to your sponsors early.
- Professional Review sponsor's statement of supportInstitution of Civil EngineersThe Professional Review Guidance points to this form for the full list of who may act as a second sponsor, and for the sponsor submission deadline. The form itself could not be read directly, so eligibility beyond what the guidance states must be checked on the form.
- Online review guidanceInstitution of Civil EngineersReferred to repeatedly by the Professional Review Guidance for the detail of the online review process. Not read directly.
- ICE appeals guidanceInstitution of Civil EngineersThe Professional Review Guidance states the two-month appeal window and recommends reading the separate appeals guidance. The grounds and procedure in that document were not read.
Wider standards
Background rather than procedure.
- UK-SPEC: UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and CommitmentEngineering CouncilICE states that its seven attribute areas contextualise UK-SPEC. ICE's own wording governs an ICE application.
- Engineering Council guidance on securityEngineering CouncilThe Professional Review Guidance asks candidates to familiarise themselves with this note, giving its publication date as May 2016.
- Equality Act 2010UK ParliamentICE states that reasonable adjustments are made in line with this Act.
Also useful
- Professional Review application formInstitution of Civil EngineersAlways download the current form. Queensferry does not reproduce it and does not track its field list.
- ICE Approved Employers listInstitution of Civil Engineers
- ICE Code of Professional ConductInstitution of Civil EngineersNamed in the Professional Commitment attribute. Read the current version in full before your review; this domain does not reproduce it.
Every published limit, in one place
Word counts, page limits, timings and thresholds, gathered so you can check one without opening a PDF.
Two things are deliberately not here: application deadlines and fees. Both move between sessions and both live on ICE's own pages, so a figure quoted here would be the kind of thing that quietly costs someone a session. Take them from ICE and put your own confirmed dates into the application planner.
Every published limit, in one place
Word counts, page limits, timings and thresholds — so you can check one without opening a PDF. Deadlines and fees are not here: they move between sessions, so take those from ICE.
47 limits
Professional Review report length
5000words of body text
Body text only. Contents pages, tables of figures, lists of abbreviations, appendices, the CV and CPD records are outside the count.
Career Appraisal report length
5000words
At either IEng MICE or CEng MICE level.
Career Appraisal top-up report length (IEng MICE to CEng MICE)
3000words
For an existing IEng MICE using Career Appraisal to top up IPD to CEng level. The report covers the additional CEng responsibilities and professional commitment only.
CV length
2pages
Outside the report word count.
Appendices — A3 sides
3sides of A3
Appendices — A4 sides
12sides of A4
CPD records sit outside this limit.
Application file size
15MB, one PDF
A single PDF. Convert documents to PDF electronically rather than scanning where you can, and check it reads in black and white.
Career Appraisal filename format
membership number, initials, surname
ICE gives the pattern 62200093_J.B.BLOGGS. Submissions exceeding the format or size limits are returned for editing.
Number of sponsors
2sponsors
One of the two is nominated as lead sponsor.
Lead sponsor eligibility
ICE Member or Fellow, registered with the Engineering Council at the same grade as you are applying for, or higher
The lead sponsor also has a duty to act as your mentor through the application, and should know the current review process.
Second sponsor eligibility
professionally qualified at the same grade as you are applying for, or higher, with one of the organisations listed on the statement of support
The second sponsor does not have to be an ICE member. The list of acceptable organisations is on the statement of support form itself, which must be read.
CPD expected
30hours of effective learning per year
Where you have less, ICE expects a robust explanation in the submission and expects you to show how competence has been maintained.
Personal development record — formal ICE IPD completion
1year minimum, back from the application date
Personal development record — all other applicants
3years minimum, back from the application date
Development action plan
12months of objectives ahead
Health, safety and welfare training
current formal training must appear in the record
Stated for both Professional Review and Career Appraisal CPD records. It is one of the most common gaps.
Presentation length
15minutes
Run over and your reviewers may stop you so the interview can proceed.
Presentation and interview together — IEng level
60minutes maximum
Presentation and interview together — CEng level
75minutes maximum
Reviewers
2peer reviewers who must both agree
A third reviewer may attend where specialist knowledge is needed, and an observer may be present but takes no part.
In-person presentation visual aids
no larger than A3
A laptop is permitted in person, but no external power supply is provided — arrive charged and bring your cable.
Notice of your review date
4weeks, approximately
The notification letter names your reviewers and gives the timing of your Communication Task. Never contact reviewers directly.
ICE acknowledges your application
10working days
Time to supply missing documents
48hours
Processing stops until the missing information arrives.
Name published under the Admission Procedure
28days minimum
Published on the ICE website after your application is acknowledged.
Communication Task — IEng level
60minutes
Two questions set, one answered. The response is a straightforward document such as a technical memo or note.
Communication Task — CEng level
90minutes
Two questions set, each a scenario paired with a response format. One is answered.
Questions set, and answered
two set, one answered
Reference material allowed
2sides of A4, optional
Printed hard copy or an MS Word document. Copying and pasting from it is not permitted — it is for reference only. No other notes are allowed.
Time to upload your response
15minutes after the end time
A 15-minute warning is given before the end. Access is revoked afterwards; if you miss the window the invigilator can reinstate it after recording an explanation.
Join or be seated before the start
15minutes early
Arrive after the start time written in your notification letter and you will not be allowed to join that sitting.
Closed book
no internet, no AI tools, no search engines, no contacting anyone, no other devices
The only permitted online access is the Teams meeting, the login email from ICE and the Communication Task page itself.
Marking criteria
knowledge and relevance; use of English (grammar and syntax); clarity and presentation
The task forms part of the assessment of the Interpersonal Skills and Communication attribute.
Result issued
6weeks maximum after the review
By email.
Appeal window
2months from the date on the result letter
Appeals received after this date are not considered. Grounds are an error in the review process, or unforeseen events.
Deferring before your review date is issued
12months to re-apply without paying again
Defer after your date has been issued and you are liable for the next fee, unless ICE grants an exception for medical reasons, bereavement or a local emergency.
Time to supply deferral evidence
10working days
Career Appraisal resubmission result
6weeks
Resubmission is assessed at no additional cost.
Career Appraisal resubmission window
6months
Miss it and you must send everything from the original application again, plus details of how you addressed the feedback. A new application form is not required.
Career Appraisal assessment frequency
monthly
Monthly deadlines are published on the key dates page.
Extra time as a reasonable adjustment
25per cent, as an example given by ICE
One example among several. Adjustments are decided case by case, must reflect your normal way of working and must not give an unfair advantage.
Development reviews during a Training Agreement
3months, preferably
Carried out by the SCE or a Delegated Engineer, recorded in IPD Online.
Formal appraisal by the SCE
1per year, at least
The trainee starts and completes the first part before the SCE gets access.
Registering Training Agreement completion
8weeks, allow up to
A Professional Review application is rejected if completion has not been registered with ICE.
Trainees per Supervising Civil Engineer
six, or up to ten with one or more Delegated Engineers
Approved Employer status
5years, normally, then reapproval
Time limit on a Training Agreement
none
The employer may terminate an agreement if the trainee is not performing to the required standard.
Related pages and tools
- UpdatesRequirements that have changed, historic details still circulating, and the process for keeping this domain accurate.
- GlossaryThe abbreviations and terms used across ICE professional qualification, explained plainly.
- How it worksThe four things ICE assesses, in the order they happen, and what each one actually asks of you.